This river runs through some of the richest ore deposits in Colorado. Many stories depict riches being made and lives lost in the great rush for gold since 1858.

Doc Holiday and Oscar Wilde were visitors to this site. Many prospectors found their fortune panning the rapid flows of the Arkansas River.

Although the main strikes were silver and lead, gold was also panned for and found in large quantities. Obviously today there s fewer lakes of gold to be found after generations of gold diggers have descended on this area.

Today, most of the river area is either private property or people have staked claims on the land. But many people prospect for gold with permission or even use metal detectors in the local hills.

From Mosquito Pass to Independence Pass visitors can pan for gold and can obtain leaflets depicting local bike and vehicle tour routes.

This area has been extensively panned for gold for years. There is still a certain amount of gold flake still about, but possibly not enough to make a fortune.

Arkansas.

Quartz Crystal

The Spanish found gold in the rivers surrounding Ouachita Mountians during the 1500's.

Recent gold prospecting in this part of America has turned up little gold, but there is the possibility of finding diamonds or other crystals.

Gold is still found in some of the streams draining from the mountains, which means there is a gold streak somewhere in there, but finding the mother load is difficult.

There are many streams and lakes with the Ouachita Mountians and the highest peak is Magazine Mountain at 2,800 feet.

The mountains stretch for 225 miles, so there is plenty of scope for camping vacations in the hunt for the elusive gold.

Be Prepared

The world famous Alabama Gold Camp, on Crooked Creek, offers potential gold prospectors the chance to pan for their own gold. They provide the use of sluicing machines and other panning equipment and a license to pan for gold within the area. Deposits may be required for certain equipment.

This is for fun only and will not make anyone a fortune. It gives an insight into how to pan for gold and shows how tedious and laborious gold panning actually is.

Shacks are available for overnight rental with Wi-Fi and metal detecting is encouraged.

As the fast flowing waters erode sediment and rocks on the rivers rapid decent, flakes of gold are washed into the river bed. Finding them is the hard bit.

Precious stones such as garnets and citrine can also be found in this area as well as ancient Indian artifacts.

Montana.

Montana is the seventh largest gold producer in the U.S.A. Gold has been proscpected here since just after the gold rush began in the late 1800s'.

Montana has produced some 17, 752, 000 ounces of gold, and it is still producing. Libby Creek ahd almost 600 separate gold miners within seven years of the first gold being found here.

Estimations as to the amount of gold left in the area range from 10 - 20%, meaning there is still at least another 17,000 ounces of gold left to pan for.

Permission off the land owner to pan for gold in any river or creek is required prior to any panning.

23 miles south of the old Libbyville gold mining town is the Libby Creek Recreational Gold Panning Area. Situated in the Kootenai National Forest, the camp provides an excellent opportunity to pan for gold with permission.